KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Neverseen 16 (Keefe POV)

"Please tell me what they're saying. You said you wouldn't hide things from me," he reminded her in a whisper as he held her steady.

"I won't," she promised before slowly pulling away and resuming her gnomish conversation.

"Can you understand what they're saying, Mom?" Biana asked Della after a moment.

"I'm only catching bits and pieces," Della admitted. But her voice hitched, which did not bode well, especially since he'd distinctly heard them say 'Gisela'.

"Please, Foster," he found himself begging. "I've heard them say my mom's name. I'm going crazy here."

He actually felt like the suspense was going to kill him. Or at least, make him physically ill.

"I need to verify first," she told him. "There could be a misunderstanding."

She ended up reaching for Mitya's temples to search her memories. After a moment, a different sort of panic passed through her and Keefe wondered if she was struggling. Mitya had made it sound like reading her mind would not be like reading an elvin mind. Keefe nudged Fitz, indicating that Foster might need him to step in.

Fitz nodded at him. "You need help," he told Foster. "I'm coming in."

Her emotions calmed down after a moment, so Fitz's help must've been what she needed.

Keefe was too terrified of what his mom must have done to be bothered by Fitz being what Foster needed.

Within minutes, her emotions went back to the initial dread, then fear, then heartache.

A quick brush of Keefe's finger against Fitz's arm--which he doubted Fitz even registered--told Keefe that Fitz was feeling the same emotions as Foster.

Finally, Foster removed her hands from Mitya's temples. "That is all we know," Mitya told her.

"You'll share this with the Collective?" Lur asked.

"We will," Fitz answered in a strained voice.

Foster seemed at a loss for words.

And she was crying.

What had his mom done?

Mitya reached up to wipe Foster's tears. "I am sorry to burden you with this responsibility, Miss Foster. No one should face such horrors. Especially you."

Keefe was about to lose it. He needed to know what his mom had done.

"I'm not worried about me," Foster insisted.

The gnomes then said their goodbyes and disappeared into the trees.

"Okay," Keefe said, taking Foster's hands. "You have to tell me what my mom's done."

Foster shook her head at Fitz, who must have asked her something telepathically, and looked at Keefe. Fitz made everyone else go back inside with him as Foster reached for Keefe's hand.

"Come on," she whispered, pulling him toward a tree that had fallen by the river, and sat down, pulling him down beside her.

"If she killed someone, just tell me," he whispered.

Please, no. Not THAT.

She tangled their fingers together and squeezed tighter than she ever had. "It's not about what she's done, Keefe. It's about what might've happened to her."

She began telling the whole horrifying story--his mom, covered in bloody cuts all over her neck and her face, being dragged away, screaming and begging for mercy.